“She wants to beat me! She wants to hurt me!” the girl shouted, panicking.
Leo froze. Behind her, a market woman was coming at full speed, holding a long wooden stick and shouting, “You this devilish girl? You’ve done it again. Today, I’ll break your head.”
Leo stepped slightly in front of the girl and raised his hand. “Madam, what is it? What happened?”
The woman didn’t stop shouting. “This cursed child broke my egg. I’ve warned her not to beg in front of my table. Every day she comes here like it’s her father’s compound. Today I’ll collect my money.”
Leo turned to the girl, still holding his shirt like it was bulletproof. “You broke her egg?”
The girl’s voice dropped to a dramatic whine. “Sir… I mean daddy. It was a mistake. Somebody gave me money. I was trying to collect it. Then Toby, that problem boy, tried to grab it from me, but I’m a sharp girl with sense. As we were dragging, my leg mistakenly touched her tray and one egg broke. Just one o! She’s now chasing me like I’m owing her five years’ rent.”
The market woman screamed, “Just one? One egg is not beans! That crate is 6,000 naira and I want my money in cash!”
Leo sighed. “Okay, madam. How much is it again?”
“6,000 naira. No transfer. I want cash.”
He turned to his driver. “Bring me a bundle.”
The driver opened the car and returned with a wrapped stack of 100,000 naira. Leo handed it to the woman. “Here. This is for your egg. She’s my daughter.”
The woman’s face lit up. She snatched the money and hissed. “Let me not see her here again. Rubbish.” She walked away.
But just as Leo turned to face his team, he heard the girl shout, “Daddy, no, just one egg!”
“Is it golden egg?” Leo blinked.
The girl stepped forward with hands on her hips. “That woman said 6,000 naira. You gave her 100,000 naira. We’re supposed to collect balance.”
Leo blinked again. “94,000 naira balance just flew away like that. Ah, this is how people waste money. You’re behaving like you pluck it from banana tree.”
One of the engineers choked on laughter and looked away.
Leo crouched slightly and looked at her. “What’s your name?”
“Daisy.”
“Why aren’t you in school?”
“A girl has needs. I have bills to pay. I’m a hustler.”
“You’re how old?”
“Seven. But I’m not a baby.”
Leo sighed, then said, “Where is your mom and dad? What kind of parents will let a little child beg on the street like this?”
Immediately, her eyes flared. She stamped her foot. “Don’t talk about my mom like that!”
Leo raised his eyebrows, startled.
She pointed at him. “Don’t even try it. My mommy is a good woman. She’s hardworking. She’s beautiful. She’s smart. She’s doing her best. Don’t talk about her like you know her because you don’t.”
Leo raised both hands in surrender. “Okay, I didn’t mean it like that.”
She squinted at him for a second, then gave a tiny nod. “Good.”
He asked gently, “Do you need help?”
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